The element classes in Coin are the containers of state information during action traversals of scene graphs.

One element usually corresponds to one item of information, or sometimes a group of related information values. The elements work like a stack that is pushed and popped as the action traverses in and out of SoSeparator nodes, and the action will always just inspect the top of the stack when it needs to know a value.

Elements are internal implementation details of the workings of nodes and actions, and is not something one needs to worry about before writing ones own extension nodes. Writing extension elements is even more removed from plain Open Inventor usage, but is fully possible for the experienced Open Inventor developer.